Canada: Manitoba Establishes New Parental Attachment Leave and Restricts Employer-Required Sick Notes
Manitoba’s Employment Standards Code was amended on June 1, 2026 with Bills 10 and 11. Bill 10 introduces up to 16 weeks of unpaid attachment leave for employees who adopt a child or receive a newborn via surrogacy, subject to a seven‑month tenure and notice requirements. Bill 11, effective November 28, 2026, limits when employers can demand a sick note and expands the list of qualified healthcare providers, while obligating employers to reimburse reasonable note‑generation costs. Both measures aim to modernize leave policies and protect worker rights in the province.
France Releases an Amended Draft Law to Implement the Pay Transparency Directive
France missed the EU’s June 7, 2026 deadline to transpose the Pay Transparency Directive but has issued an amended draft law. The revision expands the definition of equal‑value work, mandates salary‑range disclosures in job ads, and shifts reporting of gender‑pay indicators to...
Third Circuit Rejects “Overtime Gap Time” Claims Under FLSA
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not allow recovery of “overtime gap time” – unpaid straight‑time hours worked in weeks when employees also work overtime. The panel reversed...
Did Member States Meet the Deadline? Status of Implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive
The EU Pay Transparency Directive’s transposition deadline of June 7 2026 has passed, but member‑state implementation remains patchy. Slovakia, Malta and Italy have enacted full legislation, while Poland, Lithuania and the Czech Republic have only partially incorporated the rules. Denmark, the Netherlands...
Bill Proposes Changes to Australia’s Fair Work Commission Procedure and General Protections Provisions
On June 3, 2026 the Australian Government tabled the Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Bill 2026, which would amend the Fair Work Act 2009, the Independent Contractors Act 2006 and the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009. The Bill lets...
Oregon Expands Protections for Immigration Status in the Workplace
Oregon House Bill 4111, effective June 5 2026, expands workplace protections for immigrant workers by prohibiting employers from taking adverse action when employees update personal information after a lawful change in work‑authorization status. The bill folds these safeguards into Oregon’s existing employment‑discrimination...
Canada: Federal Update — Equal Pay Provisions in Force Effective October 2026
Effective October 20, 2026, Canada’s Labour Code will require federally regulated employers to pay employees performing substantially similar work the same wage, regardless of employment status. The rule applies to sectors such as banking, airlines, rail, trucking and telecommunications and uses a...
Annual Report on EEOC Developments – Fiscal Year 2025
The Littler Annual Report on EEOC Developments for fiscal year 2025 details the agency’s evolving priorities, highlighting a surge in religious accommodation claims after the Supreme Court’s Groff v. DeJoy decision, increased charge activity, and a wave of consent decrees...
Q&A Guide to Portugal’s Draft Law No. 77/XVII/1 –“Work XXI”
Portugal’s government has introduced Draft Law No. 77/XVII/1, dubbed “Work XXI,” to overhaul the nation’s labor code. The text was approved by the Council of Ministers on May 14, 2026 and sent to the Assembly of the Republic on May 19, 2026, where it is now...
Italy Implements the EU Pay Transparency Directive: A Guide to the Final Decree
Italy enacted Legislative Decree No. 96 on June 1, 2026, transposing the EU Pay Transparency Directive and taking effect on June 7, 2026. The decree makes national collective bargaining agreements the core reference for assessing equal work, while allowing supplemental internal classification systems. It obliges...
Littler and Its Attorneys Recognized in 2026 Chambers USA Guide Across Key Practice Areas
Littler, the world’s largest employment‑law firm, has been highlighted in the 2026 Chambers USA guide. The firm secured a Band 2 ranking nationally in Labor & Employment, E‑Discovery & Information Governance, and Occupational Safety and Health. Eighty of its attorneys earned...
Conscience Protection Laws: What Healthcare Employers Should Know
Effective May 6, 2026, Utah’s Senate Bill 174 enacted broad conscience‑protection provisions for healthcare workers, allowing them to refuse participation in procedures that conflict with sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. The law obligates employers to receive advance notice and to schedule staff...
Labor & Employment APAC Roundtable - July 2026
Littler’s APAC team will host a Labor & Employment Roundtable on July 9, 2026 at its Singapore office, 10 Collyer Quay. The two‑hour, in‑person session will review the most significant 2026 labor‑law developments across Australia, New Zealand, India, Korea and China. Speakers include senior Littler...
New Connecticut Law on Employers’ AI Use Is Inventive
Connecticut has enacted a pioneering law that governs the use of artificial intelligence in employment decisions. The statute requires employers to conduct risk assessments, disclose AI tools to candidates, and offer an opt‑out option. A distinctive feature is a pilot...
DOL Provides Guidance Related to Pre-Shift Work, Limits on the De Minimis Doctrine, and Timekeeping Rounding Practices
On May 28, 2026 the U.S. Department of Labor issued Opinion Letter FLSA2026‑8, clarifying how hospitals must treat pre‑shift activities, waiting time, the de minimis doctrine, and time‑keeping rounding under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The DOL ruled that tasks integral...